Schwindenhammer: Lions and Rams clash in opener

The Mid-State will tip off its 65th boys basketball season on Friday when Manual hosts Central. Manual (5-0) will be playing its home opener, after winning the Canton tournament, and at Springfield High last weekend. Central (1-3) finished fourth in the Decatur Thanksgiving tournam...

The Mid-State will tip off its 65th boys basketball season on Friday when Manual hosts Central.

Manual (5-0) will be playing its home opener, after winning the Canton tournament, and at Springfield High last weekend.

Central (1-3) finished fourth in the Decatur Thanksgiving tournament before a loss to Champaign Centennial last weekend at the Sports Radio 1450 Shootout in Springfield.

Neither team returned a full-time starter after they shared the conference title last season.

“There always is a lot of pride that goes along with winning the conference and against our city rivals and this season is no different,” Manual coach Derrick Booth said. “We’re both pretty young and neither of us has a whole lot of experience returning from last season so we’re both in a similar situation.”

Central coach Dan Ruffin will be serving the fifth of his five-game suspension. Assistant coach Ron Ruffin is interim head coach.

Manual and Central each won at home last season in the double round-robin Mid-State on the way to the conference title share.

Manual’s 22 outright or shared Mid-State titles are more than any current or former member. Central has won 13 league titles.

POULTRY: Limestone rallied from an 11-point deficit in the first half last Saturday at Pekin and led by five in the final minutes before a 70-63 loss in overtime.

The Rockets opened with senior guard and coach’s son Hank Mathews as their lone returning starter from last season.

“We’re scrambled eggs right now,” second-year coach Eddie Mathews said after the Pekin loss. “We’re still trying to figure out who we are and what we can be, but I think we’ll eventually get there.”

Limestone (5-2, 2-1) had its sunny side up in a 71-47 win over Canton on Tuesday. Junior transfers Terence Shelby (Central) and Lorenzo Burns (Manual) were among four players to score double figures.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: Richwoods continues its season-opening road swing with a trip to Chicago Vocational on Saturday.

The Knights played once at the Tournament of Champions in Washington before four games at the Rock Island tournament. They won at DeKalb last Saturday, 58-47.

Richwoods’ home opener is scheduled for Dec. 15 against Limestone.

HOLIDAY SEEDS: Seeds and pairings for the Pontiac holiday tournament (Manual) are expected to be released Monday. Chicago Simeon is the defending champion and three-time reigning 4A state champ.

Seeds and pairings also are expected next week for the Pekin Holiday Tournament (Washington, Limestone, Richwoods, Morton, Pekin). New entries this season include Evanston, coached by former Richwoods bench boss Mike Ellis, as well as Chicago Brooks, led by former Chicago Westinghouse coach Chris Head.

Page 2 of 2 -
The State Farm Holiday Classic (Notre Dame, IVC) in Bloomington/Normal also is expected to release its pairings and seeds on Monday evening.

AROUND THE RIM: Canton junior guard Hunter Rhodes missed the M-I loss at Limestone on Tuesday and remained out of school Thursday with a suspected case of the flu. Coach Jeff Otto said he was uncertain if Rhodes would be available for Saturday’s game at East Peoria. ... EP coach Matt Wright confirmed that senior forward Adam Sommer has left the team. ... Morton’s David Rossi remains sidelined due to a lingering ankle injury from football. A two-year returning starter, Rossi said this past week he is unsure when he might return. Teammate Breck Swinford did not play in the Lincoln Thanksgiving tournament, even though tourney statisticians there included the junior guard in Morton box scores. Swinford is out because of an athletics-code violation and will be eligible to return after Jan. 1. ... Pekin coach Dave Mott, who after the school year will retire and move to Las Vegas, said he’s interested in continuing his coaching career in Nevada.

Lonnie Schwindenhammer is a Journal Star sports reporter. He can be reached at 686-3214 or lschwindenhamer@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @Schwinlo.